Bicycle control device and brake system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974708-B2
Application number	US-201816142490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A brake control device and a brake system are configured to appropriately apply a braking force to a rotary body of a human-powered vehicle. The brake control device includes an electronic controller that controls a braking portion electrically driven to brake a rotary body rotating in accordance with traveling of a human-powered vehicle. The electronic controller controls the braking portion in accordance with an operation amount of an operating device and a state related to the human-powered vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brake control device comprising:
an electronic controller configured to output a control signal to electrically control a brake device to apply a braking force to a rotary body rotating in accordance with traveling of a human-powered vehicle,
the electronic controller being configured to
vary the braking force applied to a braking portion of the brake device in accordance with an operation amount of an operating device and a state related to the human-powered vehicle as detected by a sensor, and
set a transition aspect of the braking force associated with driving of the braking portion to vary the braking force corresponding to the operation amount in accordance with the state related to the human-powered vehicle, the transition aspect including a first range of the operation amount having a first rate of increase, and a second range of the operation amount having a second rate of increase, the second rate of increase being different from the first rate of increase, each of the first and second rates of increase being non-zero.

2. The brake control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to change the transition aspect of the braking force in a stepped manner in accordance with the operation amount.

3. The brake control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the state related to the human-powered vehicle includes a travel speed of the human-powered vehicle.

4. The brake control device according to claim 3 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to control the braking portion so that the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the travel speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined travel speed differs from the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the travel speed is less than the predetermined travel speed.

5. The brake control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the state related to the human-powered vehicle includes an inclination angle of the human-powered vehicle.

6. The brake control device according to claim 5 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to control the braking portion so that the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the inclination angle is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle differs from the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the inclination angle is less than the predetermined angle.

7. The brake control device according to claim 5 , wherein
the inclination angle indicates a forward inclination angle of the human-powered vehicle.

8. The brake control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the state related to the human-powered vehicle includes a gross weight of the human-powered vehicle.

9. The brake control device according to claim 8 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to control the braking portion so that the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the gross weight is greater than or equal to a predetermined weight differs from the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the gross weight is less than the predetermined weight.

10. The brake control device according to claim 8 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to increase an increase rate of the braking force with respect to a given one of the operation amount as the gross weight increases.

11. The brake control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the state related to the human-powered vehicle includes a travel resistance of the human-powered vehicle.

12. The brake control device according to claim 11 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to control the braking portion so that the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the travel resistance is greater than or equal to a predetermined resistance differs from the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the travel resistance is less than the predetermined resistance.

13. The brake control device according to claim 11 , wherein,
the electronic controller is further configured to decrease an increase rate of the braking force with respect to a given one of the operation amount as the travel resistance increases.

14. The brake control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the state related to the human-powered vehicle includes a travel environment of the human-powered vehicle.

15. The brake control device according to claim 14 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to control the braking portion so that the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the travel environment is a first environment differs from the transition aspect of the braking force in a case where the travel environment is a second environment.

16. The brake control device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a memory configured to store information specifying a relationship among the operation amount, the state related to the human-powered vehicle, and the braking force.

17. A brake system comprising the brake control device according to claim 1 , and further comprising:
the brake device that includes the braking portion; and
an electric actuator that drives the braking portion in response to the control signal from the electronic controller.

18. The brake system according to claim 17 , wherein
the electric actuator includes an electric motor that is different from an electric motor assisting propulsion force of the human-powered vehicle.

19. The brake system according to claim 17 , wherein
the electric actuator is provided to the braking portion.

20. The brake system according to claim 17 , further comprising the operating device.

21. The brake system according to claim 20 , wherein
the operating device includes a lever.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Takayama Hitoshi
• Takahashi Toshihiko
• Nakakura Masahiro

Classifications

• B60T8/261

  specially adapted for use in motorcycles · CPC title

• B60T8/3225 Primary

  Systems specially adapted for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles (B60T8/3235 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60T2250/00

  Monitoring, detecting, estimating vehicle conditions · CPC title

• B60T2250/02

  Vehicle mass · CPC title

• B60T8/1706 Primary

  for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles · CPC title